Vyasanadhikarana Adhyaya 2 Sutra 9 - Arthashastra | English | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 9

Devanagari script

अन्धश्चलितशास्त्रो वा राजेति अशास्त्रचक्षुरन्धो यत्किंचनकारी दृढाभिनिवेशी परप्रणेयो वा राज्यमन्यायेनोपहन्ति चलितशास्त्रस्तु यत्र शास्त्राच्चलितमतिर्भवति शक्यानुनयो भवति इत्याचार्याः ॥ कZ_०८.२.०९ ॥

Transliteration

andhaś calitaśāstro vā rājeti aśāstracakṣur andho yatkiṃcanakārī dṛḍhābhiniveśī parapraṇeyo vā rājyam anyāyenopahanti calitaśāstras tu yatra śāstrāc calitamatiḥ bhavati śakyānunayo bhavati ity ācāryāḥ

Translation

“A blind king, or one who has deviated from the treatise (śāstra),” say the teachers. A king blind to śāstra—acting arbitrarily, stubbornly fixated, or led by others—damages the state through injustice. But one who merely wavers from śāstra, where his judgement has drifted, can still be brought back by persuasion.

Word by Word

अन्धःblind; undiscerning

चलितशास्त्रःone who has deviated from the śāstra

वाor

राजाking

इतिthus; as (so-called)

अशास्त्रचक्षुःone whose ‘eyes’ are not the śāstra; lacking śāstric vision

अन्धःblind

यत्किंचनकारीone who does anything indiscriminately

दृढाभिनिवेशीone with firm obstinate resolve; dogmatic

परप्रणेयःone led by others; pliable to others’ direction

वाor

राज्यम्the kingdom; the state

अन्यायेनby injustice; unlawfully

उपहन्तिthey harm; they damage

चलितशास्त्रःthe ‘deviated-from-śāstra’ (king)

तुbut; however

यत्रwhere; in the case where

शास्त्रात्from the śāstra

चलितमतिःone whose mind has strayed (from the śāstra)

भवतिbecomes; is

शक्यamenable; capable of being (dealt with)

अनुनयःconciliation; persuasion

भवतिis; becomes

इतिthus

आचार्याःthe teachers (authorities)

Entities Mentioned

king

teachers/ācāryas

advisers/manipulators

FAQs

What is the distinction between ‘andha’ and ‘calitaśāstra’ as governance types?

The ‘blind to śāstra’ ruler is structurally dangerous—arbitrary, stubborn, or puppet-like—while the ‘waverer’ can still be corrected through counsel and persuasion.

What is the administrative implication of ‘aśāstracakṣur’?

Without institutional/legal norms as ‘eyes,’ executive decisions become unpredictable and unjust, inviting state harm.